Deceased Persons

 

When I was doing some research on the Internet over the past few days, I realized that today is the anniversary of the deaths of two personalities who are inextricably linked to music. On 10 August 2008, Isaac Hayes died of a stroke at his home in Memphis just two weeks before his 66th birthday. Hayes was a soul musician who wrote several chart breakers for Sam & Dave and worked as a member of Bookter T. and the MG's with Otis Redding and Wilson Picket. In 1969 he released his debut Hot Buttered Soul not knowing that this record was his masterpiece. With his distinctive bass-baritone voice and his spoken words I will call him a forerunner of rap and hip hop.

Isaac Hayes - Walk On By

One year earlier on this day Tony Wilson, a British record label owner, radio and TV presenter, nightclub manager and impresario passed away after he suffered a longer time on cancer. Without him Factory records and Hacienda nightclub didn't exist. Manchester's music scene is impossible without him.

Stutter

1986 was a good year in music and many remarkable albums were released in this year. For me one of the best albums is James' debut album Stutter. Many filed this album as a folk rock album but for me it is still a monument in songwriting. James were a part of Manchester's club scene, supporting New Order live and close to a contract with Factory records. They made complex songs with very unique arrangements you can enjoy still after a few decades. Stutter is one of those albums I will ever come back to. 

James - So Many Ways

James - Johnny Yen

James - Sculldaggery

Monday's Long Song

 

In 1981 Vini Reilly released as The Durutti Column one of the best post-punk albums ever. LC means Lotta Continua and is the Italian translation of continuous struggle and this album is one of my all time favorites. Vini's songs are so different to everything else that was released in the early 80's. An album full of guitar dominated sounds inspired by punk but also jazz, folk, rock and classical. He was one of the first artists who played at the Factory Club and signed by Tony Wilson for Factory records. That was the time when he got close to Joy Division and it is no surprise that he recorded The Missing Boy after Ian Curtis committed suicide. 

The Durutti Column - The Missing Boy

Funky Friday

One of Manchester's best bands in the early 80s were A Certain Ratio. Their first records on Factroy Record were still played in my house. Their so called post-punk-funk was groundbreaking and the way they played the bass were so innovative for new music. I think that I don't have to lose more words of a band that impressed me much more than 30 years ago and let the music speak for it. Knife Slits Water is from their underrated second record Sextet.

A Certain Ratio had the funk and I ask myself why there are less remixes/edits of their songs. One of them I found when I prepared this post.